Casterline Named Class B Wrestling Coach of the Year

To say 2019 and 2020 were good years for the Glasgow Scotties wrestlers would be to understate it just slightly. At the end of the 2019 season, the Scotties had put up two individual state champs-Colton Fast and Dylan Nieskens-and claimed a silver trophy. It was a catalyst for 2019-2020, which propelled the Scotties onto a championship season amplified by 10 state qualifiers, seven state placers and three individual state champs-adding Cooper Larson to 2019's list. It was unsurprising then that Scottie Wrestling Coach Jory Casterline was voted the Class B Wrestling Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association.

"I think it goes with winning the state championship," said Casterline. "You know obviously, I'm grateful for it, but it goes back to having, you know, what you are surrounded with. And being fortunate to be a coach at Glasgow High School."

The Scottie coach touted the city's support for wrestling, saying that from the school administration, teachers, assistant coaches, the athletes and the community-especially the Highlander program-to the dedication of wrestling as a whole, it has contributed largely to the success of the Scotties and therefore his receipt of the award.

"When you have all those dynamics," added Casterline, "It's easy to win things like [Coach of the Year]."

Referring back to statements he had made in the past, Casterline highlighted his philosophy that the success of the program is cumulative and based on the work put in by all those involved, especially the athletes and the assistant coaches. He added that the long seasons, off-season training and pushing for excellence were huge factors.

"You know obviously, I know this award wasn't won in three months," the coach said. "It's the off-season, the summer camps, it's the summer lifting, it's getting your kids to tournaments, it's things like that that other guys refuse to do or don't have the resources or for whatever reasons they don't do it. But you know it's kind of a year-round thing for us."

Casterline started wrestling at around age five with the Scottie Highlanders and stuck with it through high school. In 1994 he was one of only three wrestlers in school history to place all four of his career seasons. He claimed a state championship in 1993 and in 1994 the team brought home the state champions trophy. He went on to wrestle at the University of Mary and University of Montana-Dillon.

He was an assistant coach for wrestling in both Laurel and Shepherd before returning to Glasgow and assisting the Scottie program. He has been the head coach for six years and each year has brought the Scotties closer to the state title, step by step. In 2020, he reached the pinnacle of his program's success with a state championship trophy for the team. The goal for 2021 will be a repeat and, with all seven state placers returning next year, including the three champs, the odds are in his favor.

The only curveball is the recent pandemic. Casterline fears the deterioration for athletes who are taking the time out from school and athletics and not maintaining or seeking improvement. On the wrestling side, he said he feels the closures of camps, lifting programs and offseason work has made it easier for other teams, who would usually not match the Scotties in off-season effort, work to keep up.

"We pride ourselves on outworking people with our off-season wrestling, and our summer camps and our lifting and all of that's gone away and it's really leveled the playing field."

On the flip side, Casterline does think the break will be a much needed boost to some athletes who have worn themselves down or needed to recover from injuries or tough seasons to get some much needed time off. He also knows that those dedicated athletes are putting in work on their own by running, lifting and training whenever they can.

"I'm optimistic that we're going to get out of this tailspin, this COVID or whatever and our guys will get back to work," the coach said. "And I know some of them are."

Casterline was nominated by Bob Owens, the head wrestling coach in Polson, Mont., and the state representative to the National High School Wrestling Coaches Association. After being nominated, the award is decided by a vote of the state's Coaches Association members.